Engine



Sept. 11, 1923. 1,467,528

A. R. CARTER ENGINE Filed Oct. 22 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 WITNESSES INVENTOR ATTOlf/VE Y8 Sept. 11, 1923.

A. R. CARTER ENGINE Filed Oct. 22 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2' NI/ENTOR 4 4 075R,

4 ATTORNEYS Sept. 11, 1923.

A. R. CARTER ENGINE Filed on. 22 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR A. 7?. CA r? 71E! FF,

A fro/Mfrs Sept. 11, 1923. 1,467,528

A. R. CARTER ENGINE Filed Oct. 22 1920 4: Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTOR/VE V8 Patented Sept. 11, 1923.

UNITE sr ARTHUR RICHARD CARTER, OF GULEPORT, MISSISSIIPI.

ENGINE.

Application filed October 22,1920. Serial No. 418,631.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ARTHUR RICHARD CARTER, acitizen of the United States, anda resident of Gulfport, in the county of Harrison and State of Mississippi, have-invented certain new and useful Improvements in Engines, of which the following is a specification. 4

The present invention relates to steam engines adapted for general use and more particularly to multiple piston steam engines especially adapted for use with steam automobiles.

The object of the invention is to provide a multiple piston steam engine of this character which is adapted tobe started by the pressure of steam in any phase of its operation, in any-position of its movable parts and whenever pressure is admitted into the working chambers; which prevents condensation in the working chambers and so precludes against the deleterious efiects incident thereto; which possesses flexibility and compactness to a high degree and other featuresespecially adapting it to fulfill the requirements of an automobile steam engine; and which is of simple and durable construction, reliable in operation and easy and inexpensive to manufacture.

Other objects and advantages of the invention reside in certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts which will be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming part/of this specification. and in which:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view;

Figure 2 is a transverse vertical sectional view through one of thecylinders, on line a13/ of Figure 5, showing one position of the parts;

Figure 3 is a similar fragmentary view on line zr2 of Figure 5, showing another position of the parts;

Figure 4 is a transverse horizontal sectional view on line 0cw of Figure? Figure 5 is a transverse horizontal section of the cylinder on line y-fy of Figure 6; V

Figure 6 is an end elevational view; and

Figure 7 is a side elevational view.

Referring to the drawings wherein for the sake of illustration is shown the preferred embodiment oftheinvention, the nul meral 10 designates the crank case upon which is mounted the main cylin'de'rsll' and 12, fitted with heads 13 and 14, respectively. The cylinders 11 and 12 and the, associated instrumentalities are in all inaterial respects identical and a common description "will serve for both. i

A long hollow piston15 is slidably'mounted in the main cylinder. The headf15' of the piston 15 defines with the main cylinder a main working chamber, 16. l A skirt 15 formed on the piston 15 is extremely'long, asshown in the drawings, extending from the head of the piston into the crank case. The piston is provided with suitable pack; ing rings 17 and 18. A second piston 19 is slidably mounted in the hollow piston 1-5, the head 19? of the second piston defining With the interior of the piston, 15 a second working chamber 20. '2

A crank shaft21 is journaled in suitable bearings 22 in the crank case 10. The crank shaft is provided with a set of cranks, des ignated generally at 23, for the piston of the cylinder 11 anda set of cranks, designated generally at 24, for the pistonof the cylinders 12. The set of cranks 23 includes a pair of cranks 23? for. the main piston and a single crank23 for the second pistonQ The pair of cranks 23 are spaced l80 apart from the crank 23. The set of cranks 24 includes a pair of cranks 24 for the main piston of the cylinder12 and a single crank 24 for the second piston of the cylinder. 1 The crank 24 and the pair of Icranks'fQ i are spaced 180 apart. The cranks ofthe set'23 are spaced apart from ptheicranks of the set 24. Connecting rods 25 and pins 26 serve to connect the pair of cranks 23 to the piston 15 of the cyllnder 11 and a single connecting rod 27 serves to connectthe crank 23 to the piston 19 of the cylinder 11. A pair of connecting rods 28 andpins 2 9 serve to connect the pair of cranks'2 l to the piston '15 of the cylinder 12 and a single connecting rod 30. serves to connect the crank 24 with the piston 19, of the cylinder 12' A valve 31, controls the admission of steam to the working chamber. 16 and a' valve 32 controls the admission of the stea' r'nto the. working chambered The valves 31 and 32. coact with valveseats'33"a1id34, reereet r l i when w a m th w e valve casing 35, shown in this embodiment of the invention as formed integral with the main cylinder. As more clearly shown in Figure 5 the valve casing 35 is provided with a central dividing web or partition 36 which separates the interior of the easing into two valve chambers in which the valves 31 and 32 respectively operate. These valve chambers are designated at 37 and 38, respectively. Removable heads 39 ad 40 are provided for the respective valve chambers. An intake port 41 to the working chamber 16 is provided and leads to the valve 31 and its valve chamber 37 by an elongated duct 42. which extends vertically through the wall of the cylinder from the intake port 41 to the valve casing. An intake port 43 to the working chamber 20 leads directly thereto, the piston 15. havingfor the purpose of establishing this communication a port 15 in its skirt 15" adapted to periodically register with. the intake port 43. As shown in the drawings the valves 31-and 32 are preferably of the poppet type and include depending stems 44 and 45. Stuffing boxes 46 and 47 coact with the stems and the valve casing to prevent leakage.v Coil springs 48 and 49v encircle the valve stems 44 and respectively and abut one end against the adjacent wall of the valve casing and at the other ends against collars 50 and 51 secured on the valve stems 44 and 45. respectively, and tend to maintain the valves 31 and 32 closed. Push rods 52 and 53 engage the lower end of the valve stems 44 and 45, respectively. and are adapted to act in the opening of the intake valves. A cam shaft 54, is journaled in the crank case, as shown at 55, and carries cams 56 engageable with the push rods. The cams 56 are of suitable design and contour and preferably there is provided forward, neutral and reverse cams adapted to selectively cooperate with the push rods. The cam shaft 54 is driven from the crank shaft by means of gearing 58 which transmits the motion of the crank shaft to the cam shaft in unchanged and unvarying ratio so that motion of the cam shaft is the same as the motion of the crank shaft, and the cam shaft makes revolution for revolution with the crank shaft. Steam is applied to the valve chambers 37 and 38 from any suitable source through a pipe connection 59 which leads through suitable openings in the valve casing to thesevalve chambers. i

In order to prevent condensation in the working chambers and preclude-the deleterious effects of said 'condensations, precondensing and preheating cells or-spaces are provided in the walls of the main cylinder. Certainof these precondensing or preheat- .ingg cells, designated at 60 and 61, extend substantiallyvfor the entire vertical extent of the cylinder wall but only fora portion of the circumferential extent thereof, as shown in the drawings. A precondensation or preheating cell or space 62 extends for only a portion of the vertical height of the wall and for only a portion of the circumferential extent thereof but communicates at its upper end with both spaces 60 and 61. The space or cell 62 is supplied with steam from any suitable source preferably from the same source from that which the valve chamber is supplied by means of pipe connections 63.

The exhaust from the working chambers 16 and 20 is accommodated. by exhaust ports 64 and 65 in the main cylinder wall which 7,

communicates by means of a duct 66 with the common exhaust at 67 The exhaust 64 from the working chamber 16 is controlled by the piston 15 and when the piston descends to below the'exhaust port 64 the working chamber 16 exhausts. The working chamber 20 is controlled by both the piston 19 and the skirt 15 of the piston 15 which has a port 15 therein adapted to periodically register with the exhaust port 65. Whenthe piston 19 'has descended to below the port 15 in the skirt of the piston 15 and thisport 15 is registered with the exhaust port 65 the working chamber 20 exhausts.

The exhaust from the precondensing cells or spaces of the condensed water and steam is effected throughv ports 69 formed at the lower end of cells 60 and 61 and pipe connection 70 threaded into said ports.

In operation, it being assumed for the sake of illustration that the parts are in the position shown in Figure 2 it will be seen that in this phase of the operation a cam 56 is beginning to exert a lifting effect on the push rod associated with the intake valve 31 to raise the valve and to admit steam from the valve chamber 37 into the working chamber 16 wherein the steam functions to force the piston downwardly rotating the crank shaft and eventually bringing the parts to the position shown in Figure 3 and permit-- ting the steam to exhaust from the working chamber 15 through exhaust ports 64', duct 66 and exhaust 65. the piston 15 having then travelled below the exhaust port 64 to uncover this port. At this time the valve 32 is opened admitting steam from the valve chamber 38 into the working chamber 20 and forcing the piston 19 downwardly and the piston 15 upwardly until these parts again reach the position shown in Figure 2 when this cycle of operation is repeated. In the position shown in Figure 2 the steam is exhausted from the working chamber 20 through the registering ports 15 and 65, the duct 66 and 'the' exhaust 67. With this arrangement in an engine embodying two or more cylinders it is obvious that the engine will be started and motion will be imparted to the crank shaft irrespective of the position of the pistons or the particular phase from which the pistons are to be actuated.

It is to be noted that the piston 15 is acted upon or receives impulses from both of the working chambers and thus constitutes a double-acting piston, while the piston 19 receives its impulses from the working chamber only and thus constitutes a single-acting piston.

I claim:

1. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder a hollow piston reciprocating therein and defining with said cylinder a working chamber, a second piston reciprocable in the hollow piston and defining with said hollow piston a second working chamher, a valve to control the inlet of steam to said first-named working chamber, a valve to control the inlet of steam to said secondnamed working chamber, and a common valve casing for said valves having a partition forming separate valve chambers for each of said valves, said cylinder having a duct therein leading from one of said valve chambers to said first-named working chamber and said hollow piston having a port in its skirts adapted to periodically establish communication with said second working chamber and the other of said valve chambers.

2. In an engine of the character described,

a cylinder, a hollow piston reciprocating therein and defining with said cylinder a working chamber, a second piston reciprocable in the hollow piston and defining with said hollow pistona second working chamher, a valve to control the inlet of steam to said tirstnamed working chamber, a valve to control the inlet of steam to said secondnamed working chamber, and a common valve casing for said valve having a partition forming separate valve chambers for each of said valves.

3. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a hollow working piston reciprocable therein and defining therewith a work ing chamber, a second working piston reciprocable in said hollow piston and defining with said hollow piston a second working chamber, a valve to control the inlet of steam to said first-named working chamber, said cylinder having a duct therein leading from said valve to said first named working chamber, and a valve to control the flow of steam to said second named working chamher. said cylinder having a port therein leading from said last named valve to said second working chamber, said hollow piston having a port in its skirt adapted to periodically register with the lastnamed port of the cylinder.

4. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a double-acting and hollow working piston reciprocable in said cylinder and a single acting working piston reciprocable in said hollow double acting piston.

5. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a double-acting working piston, a single-acting working piston, and means for alternately supplying steam to said pistons.

6. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a double-acting working piston reciprocating in said cylinder and having an elongated depending skirt, and a single acting working piston reciprocable in the interior of the double-acting working piston defined by the skirt thereof.

7. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a double-acting working piston reciprocating in said cylinder and having an elongated depending skirt, a single-acting working piston reciprocable in the interior of the double-acting working piston defined by the skirtthereof, and valve means for controlling the flow of steam to said piston.

8. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a hollow working piston reciprocable in said cylinder and defining with said cylinder a working chamber, a second piston reciprocable in said hollow working piston and defining with said hollow working piston a second working chamber, means for controlling the supply of steam to said working chambers, and means for controlling the exhaust of steam from said working chamber including an exhaust port controlled by the hollow piston, an exhaust port controlled by a port provided in the hollow piston and the second piston, anexhaust outlet and a common duct to said outlet.

9. In an engine of the character described, a cylinder, a hollow working piston reciprocable in said cylinder and defining with said cylinder a working chamber, a second piston reciprocable in said hollow piston and defining with said hollow piston a second working chamber, means for controlling the supply of steam to said working chambers, and means for controlling the exhaust of steam from said working chamber including an exhaust port controlled by the hollow piston, and an exhaust port controlled by a port provided in the hollow piston and the second piston.

ARTHUR RICHARD CARTER. 

